Yin and Yang
by Harmony21
Summary: Oliver and Felicity fight over Oliver working with Malcolm Merlyn; Diggle comes up with the solution.


"_I_ _don't want to be a woman you love_."

Oliver stared in surprise as Felicity walked away from him.

His soul shrivelled and his heart broke. The injury given to him by Ra's didn't hurt as much as her words.

"I can't stop loving you, Felicity," he said softly, catching up to her. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she whirled around, glaring angrily, then poked a vicious finger into his chest.

"You're willing to work with _Merlyn_!" She screeched.

Oliver opened his mouth to reply but she him cut him off.

"I can't endorse it Oliver, I just can't. Not after all he's done."

"Felicity -"

She stepped away from him, raising her hands to fend him off and Oliver's heartache worsened. "Stay away from me."

As she made to walk off again, his words, though soft, stopped her. "I can't do that."

She glared at him.

Oliver sighed. "I told you I was willing to do what I had to to protect Thea. I meant it, Felicity."

She spoke through gritted teeth then, her emotions a tangled mess. "The last thing you said to me was that you loved me; Malcolm Merlyn tells us you died and then you come back, deciding to work with the man who sent you to your death!"

He tried to talk but she stopped him again. "I need to think, Oliver. Don't follow me."

Sadly, he watched her walk off into the night, wishing he'd waited to tell the team his plan.

Felicity stormed towards her car and got in, slamming the door so hard the window shuddered; she didn't care.

She let the tears fall then, wondering if she'd ever be able to sort things out with Oliver.

Her tears eventually spent, she went home, curling up with a tub of mint chip and her favourite tv show, hoping Oliver didn't come looking for her.

For both of them, the next few days were very difficult. Even though the others noticed, they didn't say anything.

Oliver and Malcolm were spending more time together, both at his place and the lair, much to the team's distaste, and Felicity's anger. The first time Merlyn did the salmon ladder - at Oliver's encouragement no less - Felicity found herself storming out. There was something extremely wrong about Malcolm in her favourite space; it was a space for Oliver, maybe Barry and had been for Sara, but no one else. Ray had his own salmon ladder in his office, but that was different; he was her boss.

After that, Felicity stayed away from the lair, preferring to either stay late at work or at home.

For a few days, everything was fine, then Dig came looking for her at the office. With him was Oliver and she couldn't help the growl that escaped her at the sight of him.

So she did the next best thing, and ignored him. "Dig," she said cordially, then turned an icy glare on Oliver.

"We need to talk," Oliver began.

Felicity snarled at him. "_We_ don't need to do anything; you need to take Malcolm Merlyn's head off and bury the body."

Both men stared at her in shock, outright horrified not just by her words, but the venom in her voice.

"Why would you say such a thing? That doesn't sound like you," said Dig.

Felicity sat down at her desk and began typing, her eyes moving between Dig and the screen. "Malcolm Merlyn should have been dead after the Undertaking. Instead, he's wormed his way onto the team."

"He's teaching me the way to defeat Ra's," said Oliver. "You told me to kill him, and I'm willing to do what I have to to accomplish that goal, even if it means working with an enemy."

Without looking at him, Felicity threw a pen at his chest. Even though it was aimed right at his heart, he caught it easily.

Oliver put the pen down and moved around the side of her desk. He took her chair by the arms and pulled her around so she was looking at him. Crouching down, he said, "you're the first woman I've ever truly loved and before you take my head off, know that no one's perfect. You're aware of things that happened while I was away - both times - and you know of my past.

"Oliver -"

He shushed her. "Malcolm Merlyn isn't an official member of the team and isn't staying forever, just long enough to defeat Ra's."

Felicity glanced at Dig who was watching them out of the corner of his eye. She sighed. "I still don't like it."

"I know, but what other choice have we got?"

She shrugged, unsure where to go from here. "What about us? I don't want to fight anymore and I don't like where we are right now."

"I don't either," Oliver admitted, soothing her.

She sniffed. "So what are we going to do?"

Oliver sighed. "I don't know."

"If I might interject," Diggle piped up. "I'm gonna tell you something someone once told me: 'stronger together, weaker apart.'"

Felicity frowned. "Who told you that?"

"My commanding officer."

"You sound like you're talking about magnets," said Oliver.

"I think you get my meaning."

It was Felicity's turn to sigh. "What are you saying, Dig?"

"The rest of the team can see that you both love each other, so get together. You're a stronger and better team of two than you are individually."

The two of them exchanged glances. "Think we should try it?" Oliver asked.

Felicity nodded. "Even though we know each other well, let's try and take things slowly, ok?"

"Ok," Oliver agreed with a smile.

And so they were able to leave the office a few minutes later, a relationship plan in place, and an idea as to where they were going to go.

Oliver hugged Felicity just before she got into her car and she whispered the three words he wanted to hear her say.

"I love you."


End file.
